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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30011466">FLOWERING</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/silvee/pseuds/silvee'>silvee</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto, 鬼滅の刃 | Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Anime)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, BAMF Haruno Sakura, Death!, Demon Slayer Crossover, Demon Slayer Haruno Sakura, Dissociation, Gen, Haruno Sakura-centric, I hope, Kinda, Naruto crossover, PTSD, Reincarnation, Sabito is Sakura’s brother, World Hopping, but it gets better, eventually, ngl Sak is gonna go through a lot here, we’ll see</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 10:14:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>17,905</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30011466</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/silvee/pseuds/silvee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"you? a demon slayer?<br/>don't make me laugh, kid."</p><p>"say that again once i beat<br/>your ass, old man."</p><p>~~~</p><p>dying a sixteen year old in a world of war, death, and fighting, just to wake up in another world with the exact same thing is a straight slap across the face, sakura thinks. only in this world, she has memories. memories of a family, of a home without loss or grief. of an older brother who means the world to her and more. </p><p>only, she was originally a member of team seven and everyone knows wherever they go, a shit-storm is bound to follow.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Haruno Sakura &amp; Family, Haruno Sakura &amp; Original Characters, Haruno Sakura &amp; Sabito</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>67</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>137</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. ARC ONE: The Beginning</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>—| THE BEGINNING |—</strong>
</p><p>ACT ONE |— learning to walk</p><p>TIME |— five years long</p><p>AGE |— six to eleven</p><p> </p><p>~**~</p><p> </p><p>"this life is another chance. i won't let you take it away from me."</p><p> </p><p>~**~</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>CONTINUE?</strong>
</p><p>YES | NO</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>oopsie my hand slipped.</p><p>i watched all of demon slayer in two days and this happened :D lets hope i can see it to it’s end. obviously, this fic will have heavy, heavy spoilers for demon slayer, so please watch it first! it’s well worth your time.</p><p>i’m honestly uploading this here in chance i might get feedback and it might motivate me to stay on a regular writing schedule, but we’ll see what happens :p</p><p>caio!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. 1.1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>italics is memories or flashbacks!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Falling. Panic. Air.</p><p> </p><p>    Struggling. I'm..moving? Flailing. I need air. Why can't I breathe? Tiny hands claw at my neck. Screaming? Is that me? Where am I? I need to find my way to the medical tent. Something is clearly wrong wrong wrong and I can't feel my body. I hear screaming, a little girls. I need to help her but I can't breathe. Why can't I breathe?</p><p> </p><p>    Sakura, focus. You need to move. Danger, danger I can sense it. I try to move, circulate chakra, <em>anything.</em> There are still tiny hands clawing at my neck and it hurts. Why isn't my chakra <em>working?</em> Suddenly there are more hands on me. No, no this feels so <em>wrong.</em> It <em>hurts.</em></p><p> </p><p>    Something, there are voices around me. Voices? What are they saying? Enemies. I need to leave, run but <em>air.</em> Air air <em>air where is it..?!</em></p><p> </p><p>    "Sakura!"</p><p> </p><p>    Suddenly the world clicks into place. A gulp, another. Another and another and another. Hands remove from my throat and they feel sticky. (My hands?) My throat burns and I look frantically. Calm, I need to focus. Enemies all around. One, no wait, three. I need to escape. Slow down, focus.</p><p> </p><p>    Coughing, am I coughing? Water, no I need water. My body hurts. I feel it, all too aware now. It aches and burns and feels so, so wrong that I want to throw up. So I do. I turn, the movement harsh and revolting and I spill whatever is in my stomach.</p><p> </p><p>    A hand is on my back and I flinch. Danger, alert, panic and where the hell am I, I need to move. My back hits something and the world tilts and I'm falling again. (Again? Where will I end up?) It hurts to think, my head aches along with my chest and my neck and <em>everything. I need to get back to Naruto and Ino before they die...!</em></p><p> </p><p>    I black out again.</p><p> </p><p>~**~</p><p> </p><p>    "Mother, what <em>happened?"</em></p><p> </p><p>    "Water, go get me water."</p><p> </p><p>    "Of course."</p><p> </p><p>    "Mom, let me help."</p><p> </p><p>    "Sabito, please <em>not right now."</em></p><p> </p><p>    A breath. Calmer this time. There is a cold feeling on my forehead and I lay still. A second later there is the pain, but it's nowhere as agonizing as the first time. I feel for my body that was so unreachable before. It's hurts every time I breathe.</p><p> </p><p>    My hands aren't sticky this time, but my neck stings more than any other part of me. I lay still and listen to the voices that slowly start to filter in around me. Then I register the hands. The soft, too soft hands. Hands as soft as the ones holding my right one don't exist, at least not anymore. I wonder if foreign nin found me? Maybe they are treating me before I get interrogated?</p><p> </p><p>    I open my eyes slowly. I need to see who has the soft hands. When my eyes open I see a boy with pale blue eyes and peach hair. I'm sure I don't know who he is, but his kind smile makes me think otherwise. Relief rushes through me though, like an instinct. Why, when I don't know him?</p><p> </p><p>    He says something, looks up, but I can't hear him, or anything, anymore. Flashes of something (memories?) crash through my head and I start to feel dizzy even though I'm laying down. My thoughts muddle and I struggle to stay awake, but the darkness claims me again before I take another staggering, pain filled breath.</p><p> </p><p>~**~</p><p> </p><p> <em>   "Big brother! Look, look!" A young girl, around the age of four yells. She holds what looks like a diamond shaped rock in her tiny hands.</em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em>    A young boy with hair the color of peaches crouches down beside her. He reaches his wet hand over and takes the rock, all smiles as he looks at her. "It looks so cool, Sakura-chan." He then reaches down into the river in front of them and pulls out a small rock as well.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>    "Look, this one looks like a heart." The eight year old hands the rock to his little sister. She looks up at him and smiles so widely he could've sworn her mouth would fall right off her face. "Woah, it's so pretty!"</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>He clutches the diamond rock in his hand and looks at his sister as she talks on and on about how beautiful the heart shaped one is. "Have it, Sakura-chan." He says after she pauses for breath.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>"Wah, really?! But it's so pretty, I think you should have it." The little girl exclaims, holding the rock out to him with both of her little hands. He shakes his head and pushes her hands back, "No, you should have it since it should belong to someone beautiful."  There's a blush on his cheeks.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>The little girls eye's water as she looks from him to the rock and back. "Really? You think I'm beautiful?"</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>The boy becomes alarmed at his sisters tears, "A-ah, of course! You are the prettiest ever, Sakura-chan."</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Suddenly the girl throws her arms around the brother and he wobbles and falls back. "Thank you, Big Brother!"</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>He smiles fondly and looks down at her. He hugs her back and after a few seconds the siblings are being called back into the house.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>"Sabito-kun! Sakura-chan! It's time for dinner!" Their mother calls.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>The girl springs up with the rock still clutched tightly in her hands. She smiles teasingly at him. "Last one there has to wash dishes!" She yells and starts running up the small hill to their house.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>He sighs fondly and watches her back as she runs up. He gets up and runs after her, his diamond shaped rock in his hand as well. "Hey! Wait up!"</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>He catches up to her quickly, but he lets her win.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>~**~</p><p> </p><p><span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span> <em>"Momma, Papa! Look at all the sticks Big Brother and I got!"</em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em>A women with pale blue eyes and light pink hair smiles softly as she watches her five and nine year old children set down a handful of sticks and foliage by the front door. The older boy carrying a lot more than the younger girl.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>She crouches down and rubs the top of her daughters head as she smiles at the boy. "Very good job, Sakura-chan. You too, Sabito-kun."</em>
</p><p> </p><p><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> <em>Both siblings smile at the praise and follow their mom into the small house. Then a man with bright green eyes and muted red hair rounds the corner and picks up his daughter.</em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em>"Papa!" She squeals and laughs as her dad spins her around. "That's my girl! Always looking after all of us. Better watch out, Sabito-kun; our Sakura-chan's gonna become the man of the house before you do." The man teases as he grins at his son. The blue eyed boy chuckles and decides to play along. "Sakura-chan has always been stronger than me: of course she is going to take care of us."</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>They all laugh while the little girl blushes, "Hey, Big Brother is still pretty cool too! He also got fire wood with me." She crosses her little arms as the father puts her down.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>"Ah yes, our little Sabito is also pretty great, isn't he." The mother smiles, putting a hand on her son's shoulder. This time the boy blushes but he directs a smile toward her.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>The father walks up to his wife and kisses her on the side of the head. "Kids, now that you got all the wood, it's time to eat! Who's hungry?!" The father exclaims.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>"Me! I am!" The little pink haired girl responds, raising her hand and jumping up and down in the air. "Oh yeah, that's the spirit!" The father joins in. The daughter definitely takes after him.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>The son and mother look at the duo as they animatedly talk about what they will have for dinner. The woman looks down at the young boy and ruffles his peach hair that he inherited from her. "Let's go get it started." She says while leading him into the kitchen.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Both daughter and father continue to laugh and play in the other room while the two get water boiling.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>~**~</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>"Momma, Papa! Please hurry, it's Sakura!" At the sound of their son's frantic and panic filled yelling, both parents come running out of the house in a hurry.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>What they see makes their hearts stop. There their ten year old son is holding his bleeding, barley awake, six year old sister. The little girl tries to move so she can see her parents, but when she does she cries out in pain.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>That jolts the parents out of their temporary shock and they run to their kids. The dad picks up his daughter as the mom looks over the son for any injuries. "Sabito, what happened?!"</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>The young boy has tears in his eyes, looking like he will cry any second. "W-we were down by the river like always, when S-sakura heard an animal whimpering. She crossed the river and - and I called her back but she kept on going so I followed her. When I found her she was holding a rabbit b-but before I could call at her or get to her a boar suddenly came out of nowhere and threw her against a tree. I yelled and scared it away but it was a-already too late." By the end of the story the young boy was crying as his mom held onto him. She quickly led him into the house and back into the bedrooms.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>"P-papa, it h-hurts!" The girl sobbed as the dad was lifting her shirt to see the purple black bruises that were already forming.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>He looks back at his wife who now had tears in her eyes, moving into action to hold her daughter in her lap. The dad got out an emergency aid kit they kept under one of the tatami mats for times like these. All the boy could do was sit and watch as his little sister yelled out as their dad was putting some healing balm on her stomach and wrapping bandages around it.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Her mom was silently crying as she tried to calm her only daughter down. "Shh baby, it's going to be ok. You need to calm down. Can you do that for us?"</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>The little girl clutches her mother's arms and tries to stop squirming while her Papa almost finishes wrapping the bandages tightly around her mid section. Not long after the girl falls asleep from the pain and exhaustion. They find out the blood on her clothes came from her head, so they quickly wrap that that wound in bandages as well.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Everyone is somber after the little girl falls asleep, and they carefully maneuver her into their most comfortable futon and watch her rest. The boy doesn't comment when his mother cries into his father's chest with worry for the younger sibling, but the thing he does feel is guilt.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>So much of it that he feels like his heart is gonna break in half.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>It was then that he vows to never, ever let any harm come to her, ever again.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>~**~</p><p> </p><p>This time when I wake, it's with memories of a life I never lived. Memories of a young girl, Sakura, <em>me</em>, and her Big Brother, Sabito? Yeah that sounds right, perfect actually. Her mom and dad and her life before hangs in my mind, as clear as water.</p><p> </p><p>I also feel the too soft hand again. It's still holding my right hand in it's soft grip, and I slowly move my head to look over at the boy with peach colored hair, a shade lighter than my own. I don't know what's going on and my brain seems to throb in my skull. Where the hell am I? Why do I have memories I don't recall ever making? This must be some kind of new genjutsu an enemy casted to render me immobile, hell, I'm probably already dead. I <em>was</em> pretty hurt last thing I remember.</p><p> </p><p>The more I think about it, the more my head throbs. I scan the area for any chakra signatures and with a start a realize that I barely even <em>have</em> chakra anymore. The panic strokes my nerves again, but I control my breathing and calm down as soon as it rises. I don't need to be alerting anyone in the house about my presence. Plus, it hurts to even blink right now.</p><p> </p><p>There is a soft squeeze from my right hand and I look back over at the peach haired boy. He's smiling in his sleep and for some reason the pain and slight leftover panic I'm feeling ease somewhat.</p><p> </p><p>Before I know what I'm doing I squeeze his hand back. In a tiny broken voice that definitely doesn't sound like it should come from a sixteen year old, I whisper "Big Brother."</p><p> </p><p>I pause and my eye's widen, why did I just say that? And more importantly, why does it sound right?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>this is the beginning! i wasn’t gonna post this till later but got excited heh.</p><p>i promise the writing gets better, the first part is hard to understand because i made it that way on purpose. i’m trying to match sak’s desperation and panic she feels at suddenly becoming not dead :)</p><p>hope you like it so far!</p><p>ciao!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. 1.2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>This me, I quickly figure out, is in a six year old body.</p><p> </p><p>   Something doesn’t seem right with this picture. </p><p> </p><p>Last time I checked I was sixteen and not three feet tall. Also, as I look in the mirror, I realize I look exactly the same as I did when I was younger back home. There's a protruding thought that <em>no</em>, this is my home where I truly belong, but I push it away. This has to be the memories of the girl I was before I... came here and jumped in her body. Somehow.</p><p> </p><p>I'm not sure what to believe as my Momma (wait no my real momma has blonde hair not peach) brushes my slightly longer than shoulder length hair. Her hands are soft too, just like Big Brother. (Big Brother who I somehow can't refer to anything else because it feels wrong when I do.) Everyone here has soft hands, which shouldn't be possible because we are (were?) in <em>war</em>. Especially mine. I was a front line medic nin, and I should definitely have callouses on my hands. Except where I look down at them all I see is baby soft skin and hands that have never held weapons.</p><p> </p><p>Which is also so <em>wrong.</em></p><p> </p><p>    When I suddenly passed out on the field (or died, a grim part of myself replies) I was on my way to help Ino, Naruto, and the rest of the rookie nine, who were barely standing up and fighting as they were. They needed a healer quickly and I was too caught up in helping civilians find safety that I got separated from the others around me. Then I blacked out after feeling something hit my head. Or died. (shut up head you’re not helping.)</p><p> </p><p>    I refuse to believe that I died and suddenly reawakened in a new world without healing anyone, without saving my precious people first. I refuse to believe that I failed them even when I worked so <em>goddamn</em> hard to catch up.</p><p> </p><p>   Also, world hopping? The fuck? I’m one of the smartest in my generation, and no, that should not be possible. <em>(I couldn’t have just left and died like that. There are so many people I haven’t healed yet, so many people that are going to-)</em></p><p> </p><p>    "Sakura-chan, honey, what are you thinking about?" The soft voice of my Momma (no she is not my real mother!) says as her hands still in my hair, her gentle touch never leaving me. It was such a simple question that I’m suddenly overcome with emotions and my tears spill over my cheeks before I can stop them.</p><p> </p><p>    I start crying and crying because I can barely feel my chakra and I couldn't protect my precious people and a mothers loving gaze and touch is just too much when my mom should already be <em>dead.</em></p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="Apple-converted-space">    God, I hate crying.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>    But I cry and my heart aches but is soothed at the same time as she holds me and whispers thats its gonna be alright. <em>(It will never be alright)</em> My ribs ache and my head starts to pound again. Then I remember that that the last thing I (this version of me?) remembers is getting attacked by a boar. Boar! I'm a goddamn ninja I should be able to dodge a wild animal. But then again that <em>wasn't</em> me and it just doesn't make sense because how is this possible? This isn't a genjutsu because if anything, I pride myself on chakra control and manipulation, even if my chakra is somehow missing. So what is this? How can this be real?</p><p> </p><p>    A new life? Have I suddenly just... switched worlds? In my memories (the little girls?) it indicates nothing of the ninja life I know. No Hokages, no hidden villages, no chakra or ninja's.</p><p> </p><p>    No Naruto. No Ino. No Team Seven. No Rookie Nine.</p><p> </p><p>    But there's also... no war, no fighting. At least, my family (is it my family?) and I (me, is this really me now?) are not involved in it. And that makes me relieved. Guilt settles in immediately after, but the relief that I might be done fighting, done losing the people I love is palpable and I just want to grab onto it and never let go.</p><p> </p><p>    So I sob in my Momma's arms. Just a six year old girl crying for what was, what could've been, and what can now be her life. Just a little girl crying for her precious people back home and her precious people now, the ones that live in her memories and the ones she wants to make new memories with.</p><p> </p><p>    I eventually tire myself out, my newly acquired six your old body not used to such long periods of crying and extension. I fall asleep in my new Momma's warm embrace, and against all instinct, I settle in her arms.</p><p> </p><p>~**~</p><p> </p><p>        Now, somehow transporting myself into a new world in a new body has it's ups and downs. One up being that I can live without looking behind my back every three seconds (which, y’know, doesn’t really stop me from doing it, but at least there’s nothing actually there to attack when I do). A down being that I can't heal myself and this little six year old body heals incredibly slow. Like come on, did I never drink water or eat vegetables or something?</p><p> </p><p>    An up being I finally have a family again (which is still a strange concept because I feel both like I belong and that I’m an outsider, an imposter.) A down being that almost everything in this world has no chakra. Human's here have maybe just a tiny minuscule amount of it, but everything else: trees, animals, plants, they all have nothing. Nada, zero, zilch! How is that even possible?! Chakra is the life energy that <em>should</em> flow through every living thing, so how do these living things survive without it? It seems that I'm the only one who know's what it is, seeing as when I brought it up with Big Brother he yelled for Papa that my concussion must have gotten worse because now I'm speaking in tongues.</p><p> </p><p>    And no, Haruno Sakura, among the smartest genin in her graduating class, does not speak in tongues. And when she does, she does it on purpose. But that just brought up the whole world jumping thing and how I have literally no possible idea how I ended up here, not even a theory as to what has happened.</p><p> </p><p>    So I took a page from Shikamaru's book and decided to roll with it. For now, at least. <span class="Apple-converted-space">Wouldn’t do me any good to put in a hospital for the mentally insane (even if that is what I feel like right now). </span></p><p> </p><p>    And besides, I like it here (in a weird, out of body kinda way) in the Haruno household (I even get to keep my last name!) and the warmth I get from Momma, Papa, and Big Brother is something I've never really felt before. I mean, yeah, I had my mom and dad back in Konoha, and they were amazing, but something about the way my Momma and Papa fit together here and care for me and my brother just feels different. Softer somehow.</p><p> </p><p>    Also, I have a brother! An older one too! That means I can annoy the shit out of him, something I've always secretly wanted to do if I ever had a sibling. I’ve always been devilish and kinda mean, but sue me.</p><p> </p><p>    I guess you can say he kind of reminds me of Naruto in a way. Big Brother is kind and warm and always willing to help anyone, just like the sunny blonde I know back in Konoha (I don't know when I stopped referring to it as home). Naruto, as we all know, has a loud and bright soul, while Big Brother has a more of a soft and warm one. He's more gentle and caring and has a sort of a subdued way about him.</p><p> </p><p>    "Sakura-chan, you get more lost in your thoughts lately, anything you want to talk about? Is your head feeling any worse?" My Papa questions as I sit outside and watch him cut some wood. The air is nice and warm around us, it being late spring. I (well, this version of me) actually had my sixth birthday not long ago. It was fun and carefree if my memories are anything to go by.</p><p> </p><p>    "No Papa! Just thinking about how I can protect everyone in the future." I say, smiling wide up at him. The names of Momma and Papa slip out easy now, feeling right just like when I call my brother.</p><p> </p><p>    He smiles big too and comes to sit down beside me. He ruffles my hair gently and I lean into the warmth, enjoying his presence. “Sabito-kun better watch out; you'll be stronger than him soon." He sighs fondly while I chuckle a little, trying not to move my still healing ribs too much. "As much as I love you being the protector of the house, you need to put yourself first, Sakura-chan. Put all of your mighty warrior energy into healing and get better fast, alright? The sooner you do, the sooner you can go back to protecting us."</p><p> </p><p>    If only he knew how deeply I feel his words in my soul. I will protect them, no matter what. "I will Papa, don't worry. You'll have nothing to worry about once I get all better."</p><p> </p><p>    The red head smiles down at his daughter, and ruffles her hair again, "Can't wait, Sakura-chan."</p><p> </p><p>~**~</p><p> </p><p>    "Big Brother, how you so good at this game?" I whine as he wins yet another game of tic tac toe. I mean, come on! How can he beat me almost every time? I'm technically seven years older than him! I blame it on the concussion and my six year old mentality that is slowly starting to seep into my current one.</p><p> </p><p>    The nine year old boy looks down at me and smiles. "You've just lost your touch, Sakura-chan. Maybe a week isn't enough time and you need to rest more." He says it teasingly but I can still see the worry in his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>    I cross my arms and frown, "No! All I've <em>been</em> doing is resting and I need to do something else." Hey, I used to be a doctor, sure, but that was in Konoha. Now I'm here, and that means I can act rebelliously however I want. Hell, I'm still six in my families eyes! (which is still as mystifying as it is true, now). It's justified. Also, I've started to feel this deep itch in my bones to move and see and explore the world around me. Is this what Kakashi-sensei feels when he's in the hospital?</p><p> </p><p>    The thought of my precious people back in Konoha makes a sad pang go through my chest. I wonder what they are doing right now? Fighting? I wonder if they're ok? The guilt comes almost immediately after that I am here and safe while they are still fighting a war. It doesn't seem fair when there are so many more people who've suffered and given more than I have.</p><p> </p><p>    Big Brother must see or feel my sudden dip in mood because he leans forward across the tic tac toe board drawn in the dirt. He puts his hands softly on my shoulders and prompts me to look up at him by squeezing them a little.</p><p> </p><p>    I look up to see his frown and it makes me want to do anything to see him smile again, "What's wrong Sakura-chan? Are you hurting?"</p><p> </p><p>    I shake my head and look down again, "No.” Yes. “It's just... I want to be better. I wanna help you and Momma and Papa." Which was true, too. And I don't just want to be better physically, I want to be better overall. I <em>need</em> to be better. Maybe then I can protect the ones I love now. (and maybe find out a way to get back?) I shake my head again, trying to shake the thoughts of guilt and sadness there as well. It hurts to think about my precious people from Konoha, but there's nothing I can do about while I'm here, and only dwelling on what could've happened to them does me no good and makes Big Brother sad.</p><p> </p><p>"Sakura-chan, look at me." This time when I met his pale lavender eyes he's smiling and I release a breath I didn't know I was holding, "It's ok, you don't have to be strong all the time. Let your big brother take care of you, ok? We need to look after each other."</p><p> </p><p>It's been so long since I've heard those words from anyone and it makes me tear up, but I'll be damned if I let them fall again. It used to make me angry when people said that I had to be taken care of, implying I couldn't make it on my own, but looking into Big Brother's eyes all I can see is reassurance and a need to protect and I smile at him too.</p><p> </p><p>"Ok." I say. He peers curiously into my eyes, "Ok?"</p><p> </p><p>I nod, "Yeah, ok. Promise me that we'll take care of each other." And I hold out my pinky.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> Because yes, I’m sixteen, but I’m also six so whatever.</span></p><p> </p><p>A dazzling smile alights his face and I find myself copying it. He links his pinky with mine, "Of course Sakura-chan, you will always be my precious little sister."</p><p> </p><p>Before I can open my mouth to playfully tease him, Momma calls from the house, "Sabito-kun! Sakura-chan! Time for lunch!"</p><p> </p><p>Before I can get up, Big Brother is already leaning down in front of me. I look confused for a second before he looks back, "Come on. I thought you love piggy back rides?"</p><p> </p><p>I smile and giggle, carefully getting on to his back. He's also slow to get up so he doesn't jostle my ribs and makes his slow ascend up the small hill to our house. We don't say anything, but we don't need too. We are both still thinking about the promise we made to each other, and the determination is still raging through our young bodies.</p><p> </p><p>And as I see Momma waving and smiling down at us as Papa is carrying in some firewood for dinner later that night, I think to myself:</p><p> </p><p>I can be happy here.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>i tried to abstain from posting another chapter. i really, really did. but i made it a grand total of two days. TWO DAYS. please do not expect chapters to come every few days! i’m just excited to see my little cherry kick names and take ass. </p><p>uh, anyways</p><p>bb sakura is still trying to process what the heck is happening here, so that’s why she is semi ok with just going with it. she knows she’s a good ninja and she trusts in her abilities to tell her if she’s in a genjutsu or whatever, so she’s starting to realize that maybe she really is stuck and can’t go back. but that doesn’t mean she won’t stop trying! but she’s six and in the Taisho era, and she’s not supposed to be as smart as she actually is, so that’s gonna take awhile</p><p>also, her memories of when she was the sakura before are obviously still stuck with her, contributing to her ease and trust in her new family so quickly. it’s like an instinct because this body and brain grew up around this family, so world hopping sakura is feeling the same thing. that’s what i was going for, i hope its not to unrealistic.</p><p>ANYWAYS, i’ve been rambling so i’m gonna leave now :)</p><p>what do you think so far? questions? concerns? ask me anything i’m game!</p><p>ciao!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. 1.3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Sakura-chan, come sit down and have some tea with me." Momma says, holding a warm cup of the beverage in her hand. I get up from where I'm sitting on my tatami mat and follow her into the kitchen. I set the book I'm reading down in front of me while she gets up to make me a cup too.</p><p> </p><p>    "Momma, can I have hot chocolate? Please? <em>Pretty</em> please?" I say, putting my hands together and making my eyes wide. I find it very fun to flaunt my cute six year old-ness whenever I can, and I’ve never really liked tea anyway. She looks back and her face melts when she sees me. "You need to drink tea, Sakura-chan. It will help you heal faster." She says in a kind yet stern motherly tone.</p><p> </p><p>"But <em>Momma</em>. I'm already healed! It's been a month and a half." I say exaggeratedly. Like seriously. I'm all for healing but I'm starting to feel restless just sitting at the house doing nothing all day except reading. (which, I learned, is actually a delicacy here. in a small town like ours, we have literacy teachers, but few books for them to teach from. and they don't have hard cover books, rather their books are many pages tied together with strings on the spine. we had few of those back in Konoha, but they're already the type of book i prefer. i wonder if there are any blank ones lying around?)</p><p> </p><p>    I don't mention how I've been feeling useless. Dwelling in those thoughts for too long bring up bad memories.</p><p> </p><p>    "And how do you know you’re all healed?" <em>Because I was previously the best medic nin in my village and it's common knowledge that ribs take three to six weeks to heal.</em> "Because I read about it! I've read almost all the books in the house by now."<span class="Apple-converted-space"> Which was also true. My book loving tendencies always travel with me, it seems.</span></p><p> </p><p>    Momma, despite my complaining, continues to make the tea. "Wow, if you can understand whats written in them then you must be my little kid genius." She sighs fondly as she pours hot water into a cup. "When did my little girl grow up?"</p><p> </p><p>    I smush down the tiny part of myself that wants to apologize for somehow taking over her real daughters body; no matter how long I stay here the feeling never seems to go away. I take a small breath in and smile, "Momma, I've <em>been</em> grown up. You are just in denial." I tease. The longer I spend with my family here, the easier it is to tease and banter with them though. I really do see them as family now, and that bond only strengthens as time goes on.</p><p> </p><p>    I also find it fascinating, too. The only explanation I have for being as close to them as I am now is for the fact that the Sakura I was before had memories of them, and it was implemented into her very muscles to trust them. It only makes sense that I’m feeling that too. Although, there will always be a part of me that feels like an imposter in this body, in this world.</p><p> </p><p>    Those are the thoughts I try not to dwell on. The loneliness will get to be too much. </p><p> </p><p>    Momma laughs and I’m brought back to the moment. She brings a hot cup of tea to the table and sets it down in front of me, "Oh how the time is passing. When did you even learn that word?" I’m guessing she means the word denial and I shrug. "I'm just smart." I grin at her as she sits down beside me.</p><p> </p><p>    "Mhm, now that I've known for awhile now." She takes a sip of her tea and pats her lap. I smile giddily and climb up to sit on her. She puts her arm around me and looks down at my book on the table. Touch has always been a comfort to me, and being in her arms makes me feel safe. "Tell me what you're reading about?"</p><p> </p><p>I smile even wider. Now this, all the book talk, is what I'm good at; no matter what lifetime I'm in. So I tell her all about Taisho Era Japan (which is the time we are in now, much to my astonishment) and about how it came to be. Momma probably knows all this already, after all, the book was in Papa's study and she's living here, but I'm still excited to share all the new knowledge I gained.</p><p> </p><p>To my immense relief, it doesn't seem like there is war. At least not in our town or area.</p><p> </p><p>And that means we're safe. My new family is safe.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> (I still wake up from nightmares sometimes, and this is the thought that grounds me)</span></p><p> </p><p>Alas, with the thoughts of my new family, my old one comes to surface as well. This always happens, almost everyday. There are so many links my brain finds between my life now and in Konoha with Naruto and the others, and it makes feel angry, sad, and guilty that I'm not out there fighting with them, but at the same time the relief of my fight being over almost makes me cry with how lucky I got. It’s just a loop of feeling guilty and relieved but then feeling guilty that I <em>am</em> relieved. It’s really just a big mess. It's already been over a month since I've magically found myself here, and there is nothing to indicate that I can make it back to Konoha or that time period. It stings everyday, some more than others, but all I can do is keep pushing forward with my life here. I know Naruto wouldn't like me being stuck on something I can't change. At least not now, anyway.  </p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, I feel my mom's arm tighten around me, "What's wrong, little one? What are you thinking about?"</p><p> </p><p>I look up to see her concerned face and I shake my head. "I just wanna know when I can help Papa and Big Brother with the business again." While Momma usually stays home and does chores and takes care of the house, Papa and Big Brother go out into town and help repair anything that needs repairing. It's how we make money, and the Haruno family is known for their repairing and building skills. Papa also does some carpentry work and has even taught me a little bit. Before I got into the fight with the wild boar, I used to frequently follow them into town and help; but I've obviously had to stop so I can recover.</p><p> </p><p>"Ah, that's my little helper. But I've said it before and I'll say it again," Momma turns me around on her lap so I'm facing her, "You need to get all better first." She pushes my hair behind my ears and looks into my eyes, but I deflate as she does. "But I've already said I'm feeling fine! Good as new!" Deep down I'm still a sixteen year old girl, and being coddled like I'm six (which I guess I technically am but still) is tiring and sometimes frustrating. I can do stuff, damnit!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> The pros equal the cons.</span></p><p> </p><p>"Really now? So I can do this," all of a sudden she starts tickling my stomach and I can't help the laughter that bubbles over, "all I want now?" She doesn't stop and I continue laughing. She makes sure that I don't fall off her lap, but doesn't relent on her tickle attack. "M-Momma, this i-isn't f-fair!" I say between laughs.</p><p> </p><p>Momma laughs as well and after a few minutes she stops and watches as I catch my breath. "That wasn't fair." I sulk and she laughs yet again. She then taps my nose and I look up at her, a frown still on my face.</p><p> </p><p>She sighs, "Ok, how about this. If you can drink your tea everyday, with no complaining, for the rest of the month, I'll agree to send you off with them again." I open my mouth to bargain with her but it seems she already knows what I will try to say. "And that is my final and only offer."<span class="Apple-converted-space"> She says with finality.</span></p><p> </p><p>I cross my arms and glare into her pale blue eyes, she smiles and sighs again, "I guess you won't take the deal then." My eyes widen because there is no <em>way</em> I'm going to be staying in the house for longer than I need too. "No! I will take it!"</p><p> </p><p>    Momma laughs, but before she can say something the front door opens and Papa and Big Brother walk in. "What’s this deal I'm hearing?"</p><p> </p><p>    "Papa!" Elation wafts through me and I jump off Momma's lap to run up and hug my him. He laughs and picks me up, hugging me too. Even though he's all sweaty, I don't really mind. With the month and a half I've spent here in my six year old body, I realized that it's easier to make decisions and act like a six year old would, even if my mentality is older. It's probably because my brain is still developing, but honestly I think it's fun to be a carefree kid again.</p><p> </p><p>    Papa counties to hold me as he walks up and kisses his wife, "Welcome home." She says in her soft and tender voice. I look over Papa's shoulder to meet eyes with Big Brother. He smiles up at me and I wiggle so Papa can put me down. He laughs but obliges and I hug Big Brother, "Welcome home!"</p><p> </p><p>    He hugs me back and smiles softly at me, "Hi Sakura-chan."</p><p> </p><p>    It's then that I remember the deal I just made with Momma, "Big Brother, guess what?" I pause and he opens his mouth but my excitement gets the best of me and I just continue talking, "Momma said by the end of the month I can go into town and help you and Papa!"</p><p> </p><p>    Big Brother smiles and hugs me again, "Yay, that's so exciting, Sakura-chan!" All while Papa looks at Momma, "Oh, did she now?"</p><p> </p><p>    Momma smiles back at him and then directs her attention to me, "I said <em>I</em> would agree to it, I never said anything about your father."</p><p> </p><p>    I sputter and drop my jaw. The audacity! They all laugh at me.</p><p> </p><p>    "But <em>Momma</em>!"</p><p> </p><p>~**~</p><p> </p><p>    True to her word, Momma let me go with Papa and Big Brother into town when the month was over. Papa easily agreed with her as long as I didn't pick up any heavy objects or do anything too strenuous, and honestly that was fine with me; as long as I could get out of the house and do something that distracted my thoughts, I was good.</p><p> </p><p>    Although, I didn't account for the... people. Yes, I realized that of course there would be people in town, but knowing it and actually being in it are two different things entirely. I couldn't help my subtle flinches when anyone would get too close to me or my family. I was perceptive to everything around me, always scanning the crowd for danger.</p><p> </p><p>    You can take me out of the ninja life, but you can't take the ninja life out of me, so it seemed.</p><p> </p><p>    I startle when Papa's voice calls out to me, "Sakura-chan, can you hand me the wrench?" I nod without saying anything and hand it to Big Brother who then hands it to Papa. We are out working on Mr. Taishi-san's front door that supposedly broke of it's hinges do to 'wind.' Yeah, sure Taishi-san, lets go with that.</p><p> </p><p>    The menial tasks bring me back to my time with Team Seven, when we were still doing D-ranks. Those moment's feel like they happened lifetimes ago, which I guess they technically have now. The times when all Naruto, Sasuke, and I had to worry about was how to catch Tora for the nth time or how late Kakashi-sensei would be. Suddenly, my thoughts shift to my time fighting in the field with them. How the smoke felt as I struggled to take full breathes as I try to figure out how to kill the foreign nin in front of me before they hurt my teammates. The memories bring a bout of nostalgia mixed with sadness mixed with guilt, like they always do.</p><p> </p><p>    No matter how many times I tell myself not to dwell on the war and that it isn't fair that I got here and they didn't, my mind always comes back to it. I can't help but worry; they were, and still are, my precious people. The intense feeling I always get when I think about it can make me feel suffocated at times, making my breaths speed up and causing panic to grip my head, but it has slightly mellowed out over time. Being around Momma, Papa, and Big Brother make it better, but they are also a reminder of how my life is now leagues different than what it was. How there is no way to get back to my life in Konoha, not that I can see anyway.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> It’s all really bitter sweet. </span></p><p> </p><p>    "Sakura-chan, Sabito-kun, Asahi-kun!" At the shout I'm suddenly snapped back to attention and my brain immediately goes into fight mode. The memories I was submerged in effecting my judgement.  I move on autopilot as I clinch my hand around the closet thing to me that can be used as a weapon, which is the philips head screwdriver.</p><p> </p><p>    My eyes roam the surroundings with a swiftness only a seasoned ninja could possess and I almost throw the screwdriver through the blonde haired man who has his hand on Papa's shoulder. The only thing I can think is that<em> this man is an unknown, he’s touching my family, protect.</em> Just before as I can actually do that though, my mind catches up to my actions.</p><p> </p><p>    I take a big gulp of air as I realize where I am and what's happening. My mind rushes to assure me that <em>you</em> <em>are safe, this is not Konoha, there are no dangerous people here, you are not in war.</em> And I realize, oh my god,<em> I almost just impaled Taishi-san with a screwdriver.</em></p><p> </p><p>    Well, that was unexpected. But not really that surprising. I know I have my fair share of war stories and scars, and that doesn’t just go away overnight. </p><p> </p><p>    The adrenaline that there is danger wears off and I'm lucky both Big Brother and Papa have their attention turned toward Mr. Taishi-san. I don't know what I would've done if either of them saw my slip up in mentality from six year old to war solider. There's only so much I can blame on the wild boar attack before they call on my bullshitting.</p><p> </p><p>I call back the flinch when the three turn their attention to me. Taishi-san grins and mischief shines in his green eyes. "Why are you so quiet today, Saku-chan? Usually you'd be talking my ear off by now."</p><p> </p><p>I try to tune into what he's saying but it's hard with blood still rushing through my head. "A-ah," I set the screwdriver down (I just now notice how tightly I was gripping it) and try to come up with a lie, "It's just so hot outside." I whine, trying to make it seem like the mid summer heat is what's getting to me.</p><p> </p><p>Taishi-san just laughs as Papa smiles and Big Brother shakes his head fondly. I release a breath. Good, they believed me.</p><p> </p><p>"How about once you get done with the door, I treat you to some strawberry habutae mochi?" The blonde questions.</p><p> </p><p>I spring up so fast I almost get whiplash and faint on the spot. And while Big Brother doesn't show it, he's excited too. "Yes please! We'll get this door up in no time!" I say determinedly, a look of concentration on my face as I move toward Papa and Big Brother, "Come on, hurry it up!" I demand as the two males sigh exasperatedly and Taishi-san laughs in the background. I also need to do something with my hands to distract myself.  </p><p> </p><p><span class="Apple-converted-space">    And c</span>ome on, I've always liked my sweets. I can't remember the last time I ever had anything remotely <em>close</em> to dessert even before the war. A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do, and right now, I want mochi.</p><p> </p><p>The day ends in laughter and sweets, and I let it wash away the lingering feeling of danger.</p><p> </p><p>That's a different worry for a different lifetime.</p><p> </p><p>~**~</p><p> </p><p><strong>EXTRA |—</strong>  Today marks the second full month since I've arrived in the Taisho Era. But more importantly, it's Sasuke's birthday.</p><p> </p><p>He would be seventeen, wherever he is.</p><p> </p><p>I sneak out of my shared room with Momma, Papa, and Big Brother, and with the practiced ease of a seasoned shinobi, I make my way soundlessly into the kitchen.</p><p> </p><p>My little six year old body is lacking extremely in height (which is also so infuriating. I mean I was short before, but <em>damn</em>. now I can't even reach the kitchen counter!) so I have to push over a chair so I can reach into the cabinet and get out some eggs, milk, and butter.</p><p> </p><p>The familiarity of baking, no matter what timeline, is soothing to the soul. As I work I let my mind calm and focus on just being in the moment. It's only a few minutes later that I have the little bit of batter made and light a small flame in our clay stove. I let it cook as I focus on making the topping and pray that the sweet smell doesn't wake the other members of my family. </p><p> </p><p>I have everything done in the next ten minutes, and I take my confection out of the oven and set it to cool. After a bit I scoop the homemade icing on top and look at my handiwork.</p><p> </p><p>A small vanilla cupcake with pink icing (sorry Sauce, it was the only color I could make it) sits on the counter and I smile. I take it in my hands and walk out into the backyard, being careful not to make any noise.</p><p> </p><p>I find a small stick and put it in the middle of the cupcake. I focus on the minuscule amount of chakra I have and try to channel it into my little hands (which is way, way harder than I remember it being) and snap my fingers to try to get the little stick aflame. After the first couple of tries and it still doesn't work, I grunt and frown. What the hell? I mean, I know my element isn't fire but come on! I should at least be able to light a tiny stick on fire.</p><p> </p><p>After a couple more tries of it still not working, I feel the anger well up inside me. "I didn't want to light you anyway, damnit!" I whisper-yell, the strong urge to throw the thing prominent. Before I can though, I take a deep breath.</p><p> </p><p>"No, bad Sakura. You shouldn't throw this." I say to myself, sighing out. Oh well, looks like Sasuke will get an unlighted cupcake. Serves him right for leaving the village and trying to kill me, asshole.</p><p> </p><p>I find the biggest tree in our backyard and put the cupcake under it. I sit there for a little bit and ponder on what he must be doing right now. If he's fighting with us or against us, now. Or if he's even fighting at all.</p><p> </p><p>I startle when out of nowhere a snake slithers through the bushes a few feet away from me. It sticks out his tongue at me and I briefly wonder if this is a sign, if this means Sasuke's thinking about me too.</p><p> </p><p>I shake my head and move to stand up, the snake still sitting there and watching me.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> Is it just me or does it look like it’s glaring?</span></p><p> </p><p>"Well, wherever you are, I hope you have a happy birthday, Sasuke."</p><p> </p><p>I walk back into the house without looking back, the snake watching me as I leave. I struggle with the urge to not point my middle finger at it.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>so, as i took a shower, put on my blue ‘it’s over 9000’ tank-top and grey sweatpants, i thought to myself: wouldn’t it be fun to post a chapter even though i said i wouldn’t post every few days? yeah, now we’re here and i can’t help but wanna give you guys some demon slaying sakura. i know i’m writing the story, but i wanna see her kill alreadyyy. </p><p>ahem, anyways. </p><p>how do you like the story so far? did you like the little tidbit i put at the end? would you like to see more of those? wanna take bets on how long little cherry’s peace will last? please just comment anything, i love hearing from you!</p><p>i’m just so pumped for this story, and it makes me even more excited when i wake up and see all the comments and kudos!! ya’ll really do make my heart melt and i’m so happy to see people are enjoying what i’m putting out. i honestly don’t think i’m the best writer, but i’m improving and i’m glad you guys are here with me! 💜</p><p>ok anyways, enough of me being mushy. it’s embarrassing jfbdsj. </p><p>ciao!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. 1.4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>    The summer months passed and it was now quickly approaching fall. The days are getting shorter and colder and the passage of time is something I try not to dwell on anymore.</p><p> </p><p>Today is September 23rd, which marks the fifth month I've been in this new world, in this new body. Months have passed by in a blur of motion now that I've recovered and am able to help Papa, Big Brother, and Momma around the house and in town. I have grown closer to some of the townspeople and as the days pass, the stronger my connections get.</p><p> </p><p>I may be six to them, but I've seen more death and war than they have in their lifetimes. Seeing a peaceful town brings back good memories of Konoha, which is both bitter and sweet. (Even if this town is way smaller, the connection is still there.)</p><p> </p><p>But, well, even with all my bonding to the town and my bitching for being stuck in the house, I... still got myself grounded and stuck at home.</p><p> </p><p>Sigh.</p><p> </p><p>And the way I got house arrested too. Let's just say Kakashi-sensei is even causing me grief in this life as well.</p><p> </p><p>The audacity of that man.</p><p> </p><p>It's been... difficult being stuck again. Of course the lack of healing ribs and concussion is a plus this time, but that does nothing to quell the feelings of uselessness that seem to always simmer under the surface of my mind. Momma seems to know that I like helping around the house and she's even banned me from doing <em>chores</em>. What parent bans their child from <em>that</em>!</p><p> </p><p>The utter feelings of boredom I'm feeling right now should be criminal. It's also when I'm doing nothing that my mind strays to the... not so pleasant side of my situation. Namely to the contemplations about Konoha, Tsunade, my team, and so much more. My brain always seems to stray toward the grimmer conclusions too. I roll over to lay face down on my face to try to physically shake the thoughts from my head.</p><p> </p><p>It seems the longer I go not knowing about their wellbeing, the worse my thoughts tend to be. Though, I've gotten a little used to the feelings of guilt, anger, and sadness on the whole situation which is not something I've yet to decide is good or not.</p><p> </p><p>"Sakura-chan!" I hear my name through the shoji doors that lead to the the backyard. I'm currently in the bedroom that all of us share when all of a sudden those same shoji doors open and I'm suddenly blinded by the outside light.</p><p> </p><p>My brow twitches as I look up at Papa. "It's cold. And bright." I grumble and let my head fall against the floor again.</p><p> </p><p>The red head chuckles at my dramatics. A mischievous glint enters his eyes three seconds later and I suppress a groan. Oh great. Whatever is about to happen I can already tell I'm gonna hate. I like to be a little minx sometimes, but I got that from him, which is both a good and a bad thing depending.</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly the shoji doors leading from the bedrooms to the living room open and Big Brother along with Momma walk in, sitting in the open doorway leading to the backyard. I grumble something under my breath at their obvious attempt to get me to go over there and I have half a mind to just play dead. But when Big Brother sends me a gentle smile and gestures me to come sit beside him, I can't help but sigh and walk over to him. Big Brother has that kind of effect on people. His natural soft and inviting aura just draws people in, and I find myself wishing I had him as an older brother growing up in Konoha as well. Even if I've only spent around five months knowing him, I still have memories dating back to when I was four. Those memories I've come to cherish like they are my own (technically they are, but whatever) and now I can't think about losing him. It's actually really weird, I don't ever get this close to people so fast, but it must be a sibling thing.</p><p> </p><p>A sudden sense of sadness and guilt hit me once again. I can understand why Sasuke was so messed and bent up on finding Itachi now, even if it was to kill him.</p><p> </p><p>After taking a seat beside Big Brother, everyone is silent for a moment before Papa yells "Now!" and suddenly Big Brother's arms are holding me close to him, disabling my movement. Momma, putting down the cup of tea she walked in with, walked up behind us and started to tickle my stomach.</p><p> </p><p>It was such a surprise and fast attack it took my a second to even realize what the hell was happening. By the time I registered Momma's hands on my stomach, I already had tears in my eyes and uncontrollable laughter spilling from my mouth. Papa stood in front of us, still outside and laughing at my poor misery.</p><p> </p><p>"S-stop!" I squeal, tears making their way down my face as my stomach starts to cramp up from laughing.</p><p> </p><p>"This is your last punishment before your grounding is over, my little Saku-chan." Papa says with his hands on his hips, looking all to smug with himself.</p><p> </p><p>After about 30 more seconds of tickling, Momma let go while laughing herself and walking back over to sit where she was before. Big Brother lets me go too and I scramble away from him. He has an apologetic look on his face, but the mirth in his eyes is what gives him away.</p><p> </p><p>I point at him while holding my stomach, "Traitor!"</p><p> </p><p>"Now, now Sakura-chan. It was my idea." Papa says, a playful scolding look on his face.</p><p> </p><p>As we start to bicker back and forth while Big Brother and Momma watch on with amusement, none of us realize the sudden crack that appears in the seemingly forgotten tea cup.</p><p> </p><p>~**~</p><p> </p><p>A few weeks pass after that and before I know it, I wake up bright and early on October 10th.</p><p> </p><p>Naruto's birthday.</p><p> </p><p>The feeling of sadness is so sudden and intense I almost start crying right when I wake up. It's my best friends birthday and I won't be there to celebrate it with him. Hell, I don't know if he's even <em>alive</em> and that thought leaves me spiraling into a very dangerous headspace.</p><p> </p><p>These are the sometimes I'm talking about. When my situation really gets to me and I feel so, so horrible because as far as I've seen, there seems to be no way I can reverse the... fuckup? the universe had.</p><p> </p><p>I find that I'm up before everyone else, and before they can see me sobbing about people who shouldn't exist, I slap the sides of me cheeks softly. This is no time to feel sorry for myself or wonder about the what if's. Naruto would probably rip me a new one for even <em>thinking</em> about being sad and depressed on his birthday. When I think about it like that a smile comes to my face easily.</p><p> </p><p>I move from my futon that lays between Big Brother and Momma and silently walk over and slide the shoji doors leading out side, open. The cold October air immediately wakes me up and based on the position of the sun I would say it's around 6 or 7 in the morning. Another gust of cold air washes over me and I shiver and close the door back.</p><p> </p><p>I carefully step around my family (I still smile whenever I think of them) and also realize that it's almost been half a year since I've been this Haruno Sakura. Time sure does go by fast, no matter what world I'm in. It was late spring when I arrived and now we’re in the midst of fall. I'm not sure how to feel about it.</p><p> </p><p>As I walk into the kitchen I see several string bound notebooks sitting on the table. I flip through them and realize that they are all blank. A hand suddenly is felt on my shoulder and I jump so hard my head aches afterward. "Ahh, looks like you found my surprise before I could show it to you, Sakura-chan." Papa says from behind me.</p><p> </p><p><span class="Apple-converted-space">    <em>Kami</em> </span><em>old man, I almost just broke your wrist</em> is what I want to say but It'll probably be problematic if I did, so I just turn an accusing glare to him instead, "You scared me, Papa! I can still feel my brain rattling." I grumble out, crossing my arms.</p><p> </p><p>He laughs, making no attempt to be quiet for Big Brother or Momma, and he lifts me up. "Sorry about that Saku-chan. I guess I'm just part ninja." He cackles. I still at that though. There was no way right? He has to be joking. Once he see's my sudden seriousness he laughs and puts me down, "Just kidding Saachan. If I was a ninja I wouldn't tell you because it would be a secret." He puts a finger up to his mouth.</p><p> </p><p>Yeah, that doesn't make me feel any better.</p><p> </p><p>He takes a seat at the table and looks over to me, "C'mere Sakura-chan." I sigh and walk over to him and he sits me on his lap. "I was gonna give these to you as a new years gift in a few months, but I got home so late last night that I didn't think about you seeing them when you woke up so I just left them on the table." He sighs in exasperation. "But it seems my little girl takes after me in more than just personality; you're an early riser too." He sends a bright smile my way and I instantly start to feel lighter.</p><p> </p><p>"I remember you asking me if we had any blank journals, so I told your father and we all pitched in to get you a few as a present." Momma softly continues, just now walking out of the bedroom with a sleepy Big Brother in tow. He is rubbing his eyes and yawning, but once we make eye contact he smiles at me.</p><p> </p><p>I can already feel the smile on my face and a deep sense of caring washes over me as I look at my family. I have been itching to get my hands on some blank journals, but I had no idea that they would remember. I look at Momma with tears in my eyes and she walks over and picks me up. "Ahh, is our Sakura-chan crying?"</p><p> </p><p>Oh god, am I? It's been so long since I've had people pay attention and care for me like this. "I'm just really happy." I say quietly, causing them all to chuckle softly. "Come on," she puts me down, "lets get breakfast started and then you can start filling them in with whatever you want."</p><p> </p><p>The whole morning Big Brother and I laugh as we stir some batter in a bowl as Momma and Papa watch and assist with the bigger preparations, a fond smile on their face the whole time. After we eat and Big Brother and Papa go off into town (I said I would stay back this time) and Momma goes down to the river to wash some clothes, I take one of the three empty journals and open it to the front page.</p><p> </p><p>I take my Momma's ink brush pen in my hand and dip it in ink. She let me have it when I asked, and it was a beautiful brush pin. It has a light pink wood base and and brush part was made from white horse hair, making the contrast appeasing to the eyes. It has a flower engraving on the end of the base and a small red ribbon with bells tied at the ends is wrapped around the base as well. Overall, it was a very pretty brush pin and I already cherish it.</p><p> </p><p>I pause right before my pin hit the blank paper, thinking about where to start. I decide to start simple and write <em>'Dear Naruto'</em> in handwriting that definitely doesn’t look like it came from a six year old. But after I start, I can’t seem to stop. I write and write until I have ink all over my hand and sixteen pages were used up already. I talk about everything that has happened since I got here and how my Big Brother reminds me of him in the best ways. There was and is still so much left to say, and I want him to hear all of it. He always did like fun and epic adventures.</p><p> </p><p>I don't realize I'm crying until my tears hit the page I stop writing on. The hand I'm not using to write comes up to cover my mouth and it is only then I realize that I somehow got ink on both hands instead of just the one I'm writing with. It smears across my face but I don't care, I just need to quiet my cries before Momma comes in thinking I've gone off the deep end.</p><p> </p><p>The thing is, I don't really know why I'm crying. The feelings of anger, sadness, and guilt seem to be ever present, but there's also feelings of nostalgia and something akin to happiness mixed in. I'm not sure what it is, I just know one thing:</p><p> </p><p>I undoubtedly, 100,000 present, miss my best friend and teammate with my whole body, so much that my soul aches.</p><p> </p><p>And not for the first time I wonder if I will ever get to go back. Get to know how everyone is doing.</p><p> </p><p>I don't dwell on those thoughts long however, trying to focus on staying positive because that's really the only thing that I can do at the moment, and finish of my first letter to him. If anything, I'm going to channel all those feelings to him so he can know just how much I miss him.</p><p> </p><p>Only, Naruto likes fun and epic adventures, and no one could predict that my story would take a turn for the worst.</p><p> </p><p>Let's just say it'll stop being fun and epic, so far from it, but it sure as hell will be an adventure. And for the shit that's about to come my way: fuck you, universe.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hello lovely’s! it’s been a hot second, and i’m super sorry for that. when i first started publishing chapters i was taking care of my grandmother who was injured, but she was doing pretty good so i had a lot of free time. over the past week it was the last week of the quarter for school, and i was so busy getting my stuff in. but now i’m on spring break! so hopefully i will be able to update in the next few days to make up for my absence. </p><p>anyways,, what do ya’ll think so far? i’m not gonna say anything about the next chapter... but i’m pretty sure ya’ll know that somethings about to happen. any guesses as to what? talk to me about anything, i miss you guys!</p><p>(side note: someone in the comments mentioned that i should change a tiny mistake in my story because it doesn’t match with what they had in the taisho era, so please feel free to point out anything else in the future that doesn’t match so i can change it real quick! i didn’t exactly research the era before i started TT) </p><p>before we leave i just wanna wish my little cherry a happy late birthday! (dang i can’t believe i’m wishing a fictional character happy birthday lmao, but she has gotten me through a lot, believe it or not. so it’s well earned)</p><p>ciao!</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. 1.5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>trigger warning: blood, death, and gore. also PTSD and disassociation at the end.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>    It happened in the dead of night, like most horribly clichéd things do.</p><p> </p><p>Everything is quiet, all members of the Haruno household sleeping peacefully in their futons. Brother and sister are wrapped up in each other while mother and father are as well. Everything is still.</p><p> </p><p>Except for the figure that is currently stalking in the bushes just outside their house.</p><p> </p><p>The pages of the books, that have since been filled with a months worth of Sakura's notes to her previous teammate, flutter as the humanoid like creature steps into their home. It's steps are silent as it's feet, clothed in black fabric, make their way toward the bedroom. The creature, with it's ashy grey skin and long black hair, pushes open the shoji door and peers at the four sleeping occupants.</p><p> </p><p><em>Oh ho ho, it even smells like the girl with pink hair's a marechi.</em> <em>This mission is turning out better than I thought.</em> The demon thinks, smiling something vile and disgusting. His navy blue kimono that loosely hangs around his shoulders is pulled back as the demon pulls his arms out from the sleeves, making it hang from the waist. The black obi he wears is the only thing stopping it from falling off completely.</p><p> </p><p>"Blood Demon Art: Oni no Ha Jintai." He whispers into the night as his hands turn into sharp blades a second later, "This will be fun."</p><p> </p><p>~**~</p><p> </p><p>    It took approximately three seconds for me to assess the situation.</p><p> </p><p>    One, eye's snap open at the whisper and new entity in the house and I make sure to control my breathing. Two, assess the people around me (Momma, Papa, Big Brother) and locate any weapons (none where found in the immediate area). Three, identify threat level.</p><p> </p><p>    High. Very, very high. And immediate.</p><p> </p><p>    A rush of adrenaline flows through my veins in an instant at the same time as panic grips the corners of my mind. From my view I can't see who is in the room, but I know they are there. Their steps must be silent, which means they must be trained, but their breaths are loud, so not trained enough.</p><p> </p><p>    God, what should I do? I can feel the killing intent from where I am, but if I move, will that prompt whoever is here to attack the person closest? If that happens, my brother will be the one to get hurt. No, I'm not going to allow that to happen.</p><p> </p><p>    <em>Think</em> Sakura, what could get you out of this situation? No other thoughts were running through my mind except that I had to <em>survive</em>, protect, and <em>kill</em>. I slip back into my war mentality scarily quickly, which is something I'll have to address later. We are not in war, we don't have to fight.<em> I</em> shouldn’t have to fight. </p><p> </p><p>    Yet.</p><p> </p><p> <em>   Yet,</em> there is a strange unknown in our room. Leaking killing intent that's so suffocating I don't know how the other members of my family aren't awake yet. My heart stalls when I think of them; m family. Shit, shit, <em>shit</em> <em>I need to protect them</em>. They're civilians, they have no combat training but I'm only six and barely have any chakra and this body isn't made for combat and <em>oh my god</em> but I can't let them <em>die</em> -</p><p> </p><p>    Breathe. I need to breathe and focus on the situation around me. No one in gonna get anywhere with me panicking. The unknown circles around to the other side of the room till he's standing right beside my Papa. What I see has my blood freezing in place. The only way I can describe it is...</p><p> </p><p> <em>   Demon</em> like.</p><p> </p><p>    What the absolute fucking fuck? Are you kidding me? Whatever this thing is, it is definitely not human. It has grey skin and fucking blades for arms. My head hurts as it tries to take in what I’m looking at. <em>This cannot be happing. </em>There are so many thoughts blurring in my mind that I find my breath picking up just the slightest bit. <em>No,</em> there shouldn’t be hostile here. There <em>can’t</em> be.</p><p> </p><p>    <em>This isn’t fair. </em></p><p> </p><p>    The demon raises his bladed arm and is about to plunge it into Papa's side. The demon doesn't seem to notice that I'm awake; my eyes wide and body barely breathing.</p><p> </p><p>    "Say goodbye, you pathetic human."</p><p> </p><p>    Oh, <em>fuck</em> this. Whatever trance I was in suddenly vanishes and I snap into action. So I settle for the logical reaction, and probably the smartest, for a six year old.</p><p> </p><p>    I scream, the loudest I've ever screamed before.</p><p> </p><p>    The sound jolts everyone awake and the demon flinches back in surprise. "Sakura?! What's wrong?!" Momma says quickly, already wide awake from surprise. I point behind her at the demon that has taken a few steps back from Papa as he now has a scowl on his face.</p><p> </p><p>    All three of my family members look at the demon and their eye's widen in surprise. There is a solid three seconds before anyone moved.I have expected this all to be a bad dream, where I’d wake up in only a few seconds. I don’t flinch when Papa starts yelling. "Akane, get the kids out of here now!" He sits up and pushes all three of us behind him. </p><p> </p><p>    "Aw hell." The demon says, it's voice gravelly and unnaturally low pitched. "I was hopping to pull this off quickly." He then smiles and it sends tremors through my body, "But I guess it <em>is</em> more fun this way."</p><p> </p><p>    The demon moves faster than what Papa can see, because one moment Papa’s crouching in front of us and then the next he is thrown into the shoji doors behind him.</p><p> </p><p>    I watch it happen and I can’t breathe, oh god oh god oh god. Memories from Team Seven’s mission in Wave suddenly come back to me. I feel so helpless in the moment; it weighs on me like a heavy blanket. The process from peacefulness to sudden fighting is making my mind cloudy. </p><p> </p><p>    Big Brother, who was in a sleepy haze snaps to attention when Papa is thrown back too; Papa almost taking brother with him. "Papa!" "Asahi!" all of us yell at the same time. Papa looks at us, blood dripping from his forehead. No,<em> no</em> <em>this can't be happening.</em> I'm a ninja I have to protect my precious people...!</p><p> </p><p>    I can't let them die, damnit!</p><p> </p><p>    "Akane, get the kids out of here now!" Papa yells again. I snap my head to look at the demon as he laughs, "Aw, isn't this cute. The father trying to protect his younglings. Go ahead and try to run, won't matter in the end." He licks his lips, "You're all going to die anyway." And then he darts forward toward Papa again.</p><p> </p><p>    "Akane!" Momma has tears in her eyes and grabs Big Brother. She makes a move to grab for me but I'm faster and dart across to the demon that's about to impale my father with is bladed arm. He barely manages to stop before he gets to both of us with his arm. The scowl he wears as he comes to a stop in front of us is nasty. "Move out of the way."</p><p> </p><p>    I muster up the sharpest glare a six year old can conjure, "Shut up."</p><p> </p><p>    "Sakura!" Momma says, terror in her eyes as she holds Big Brother close to her, ready to run the moment she has her little girl in her grasp. "Sakura you need to leave, it'll be ok." Papa whispers into my ear. I know he says it to try and comfort me, but I also know he's only saying it so I'll leave him here.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> <em>No chance in hell.</em></span></p><p> </p><p>    People who abandon comrades are worse than trash.</p><p> </p><p>    "Sakura-chan." Big Brother whimpers, his voice trembling. I realize that my hands are subtly shaking as I stand in front of Papa. I clinch them into fists to try and stop it. I'm a ninja of Konohagakure, apprentice to Tsunade, one of the legendary sannin. I <em>can</em> beat this one opponent. I have too.</p><p> </p><p>    The demon sighs and takes a step back, "Fine. If you won't move, I'll make you. After all, the boss didn't say I had to leave you alive, but I would like to see you suffer first." Again, he smiles something vicious and cruel. His sentence brings my thoughts to a stand still. <em>Mission?</em> What mission? Did that mean there are more of these disgusting creatures?</p><p> </p><p>    The demon swipes at me and my eyes widen at the speed of his attack. There is no way I would be able to dodge without chakra enhanced speed, so I put my arms in front of me to protect my face. He hits me in the side and I go careening into the wall on the other side of the room. I cough as the wind is knocked out of me, praying that I don't have any broken ribs from the hit as my body is already aching excruciatingly even though the adrenaline numbs it some.</p><p> </p><p>    "Sakura!" Momma yells, scrambling to my side across the room. Big Brother is standing still in the doorway, looking paralyzed with fear.I see the exact moment the demon locks his full, dark eye's on him and the world shifts. <em>No.</em> No I <em>refuse</em> to let him die. Everything around me seems to go in slow motion as I see the demon run toward Big Brother, bladed arm up and ready to make a killing slash across his face. Faster than I thought possible for my six year old self and before my Papa or Momma can react and protect him themselves, I force my body to move through the pain and push the tiny amount of chakra I have into my legs. I tug Big Brother away just as the demon makes to slash at his face. I manage to get him behind me and get us a few paces back, but it's not enough as the the end of the blade slashes over the bridge of my nose.</p><p> </p><p>    The world comes back into focus and regular time as we fall back. I can already taste the iron blood in my mouth from the cut, but it's nothing I haven't tasted before. I land on top of Big Brother as Papa and Momma call my name again. The demon takes a step to us but Papa tackles him to the ground before he can get any closer. I feel dizzy as I watch Papa struggle with the demon, his hands bleeding from where he is trying to hold the demon's bladed arms still. He has fury in his eyes as he again yells for Momma to get us out. </p><p> </p><p>    Momma blots to us and scoops us up in her arms and runs into the he kitchen and out of the house. I watch from over her shoulder as Papa is thrown straight through the shoji doors and into the kitchen. I squirm in my Momma's grip, trying to get down. I see red; the only thoughts circulating my mind were to <em>fight,kill,protect</em> over and over. The memories of the war seem to overlap and forces more adrenaline into my system, if possible.</p><p> </p><p>    The demon yells in rage as father slashes at his face with his nails, leaving five thin lines of blood running across his cheek and mouth. "I'm done with you!" The demon continues to rage and bites Papa's arm clean off; not even a second later plunging his arm into his chest. Papa falls to the ground, unmoving.</p><p> </p><p>    I stop breathing.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> It feels like I’ve been thrown against a wall for a second time as I look on his body.</span></p><p> </p><p>    "Papa!" I don't realize I'm the one yelling until my throat starts to burn. I can't see anything except his now seemingly lifeless body slumping on the floor. My veins flood with what feels like cold water and I can't stop the tears that automatically enter my eyes. No no <em>nononono</em> <em>this cannot be happening I didn't keep my promise I failed again like I always do-</em></p><p> </p><p>    I can feel the beginnings of a panic attack that's been just barely on the edge of my mind since I've gotten here start to slowly take over, but before I can do anything else I'm suddenly falling. I hit the ground and my ankle twists in a way it definitely shouldn't. I can automatically feel and identify the sprain. I look around frantically to figure out what just happened to see that Momma fell because of the demon that is now holding her torso with his regular hand.</p><p> </p><p>    Both Big Brother and I scream for her as her terror stricken face looks up to meet ours. Tears are blurring my vision as she is harshly pulled back toward the demon. Her face softens as she realizes that this is most likely the last moment she will see her children. She smiles at both of us as we sit on the ground, bodies frozen.</p><p> </p><p>    <em>Momma please stop, don't look at us like that. Please</em>. I desperately chant over and over in my head. I reach out to try and grab her hand but she's suddenly pulled up and, before I can blink, the demon's bladed hand is through her abdomen.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> He even stabbed through his own hand to do it.</span></p><p> </p><p>    "Momma!" I scream and scramble up but a shaking hand is pulling me back. I glare harshly at Big Brother, trying to pull my hand free from his. His own eyes are wide with terror and there are tears there as well. "Sabito, let me," I tug hard, "go!" He is pulled forward by the force but his grip loosens anyway. He makes a grab for me again as the demon looks on, a disgusting mix of amusement and hunger within his full black eyes.</p><p> </p><p>    Big Brother manages to grab my foot and I fall forward. Momma look's up, blood spilling from her mouth but she's still smiling at us. "Pl-lease go. S-Sabito-kun, take c-care of your s-sister, ok?" She coughs and more blood spills out from her mouth. "I love," she takes a painful, shuddering breath in, "you both." She exhales and closes her eye's. They don't open again.</p><p> </p><p>    "No!" I scream it over and over as the demon bites her arm off too, like she's a shish-kebab. It makes me sick and the bile in my throat rises. The demon throws Momma's body off of him like she's nothing more than trash. My breathing is erratic and I can't see straight as I look into his eyes. No please not again <em>no.</em></p><p> </p><p>    My head spins and I lose track of what's happening around me, my focus is only on the thing before me but right before I charge at his disgustingly grinning face that is licking Momma's blood off of his hand, Big Brother tugs me up and grabs my hand in a bruising grip.</p><p> </p><p>    I look back to yell at him again but the look on his face is somehow a mix between hysteria and numbness, and it breaks my heart all over again. "We need to go." He say's in a whisper. I wouldn't have been able to tell what he said if I didn't know how to read lips.</p><p> </p><p>    Without further prompting, he pulls me into the woods at full sprint. My body screams in protest as I let him drag me through the woods, tears trailing down my face, but my mind is suddenly far, far away. I'm sure if one looked into my eyes they would be dull. I don't pay attention to where we are going, and the adrenaline still coursing through me is the only way I'm still standing.</p><p> </p><p>    Far away, my brain registers that their are footsteps running after us, but I'm still too caught up in my head to realize that there is still an eminent threat almost upon us. I can feel my mind splitting between war flashbacks and the deaths I just witnessed, all the memories blurring together. I absently diagnose myself with a very bad case of developing PTSD that I should look into later, along with heavy disassociation.</p><p> </p><p>    I can already feel the numbness setting in deep in my chest as a coping mechanism for dealing with the newly dished out trauma I just got. Funny how doctors are the best at dealing with everyone's problems but their own. At some point I lose track of what's happening around me as I'm stuck in a loop of war flashbacks and memories of what just happened.</p><p> </p><p>    I barely register the sudden figure that is standing between my brother and I, looking calm and holding out a katana of some kind. I'm pulled back into my memories and the next time I resurface I'm being carried by the unknown figure as my brother is walking next to him. I can't bring myself to really care about the stranger though.</p><p> </p><p>    Next thing I'm being set down on something soft and I run my hands across the fabric. The softness reminds me off Momma and Papa's hands. Where are they?<em> We left-</em></p><p> </p><p>    Oh wait, they're dead now.</p><p> </p><p>    In the span of just thirty minutes (or maybe it was 3 hours, I couldn't tell) I'm left an orphan for a second time. There is something slowly starting to leak into my chest, encompassing my whole body down to the very ends of my feet. It's almost so suffocating that I choke on the air that I'm barely breathing in.</p><p> </p><p>    I identify if almost as soon as it starts, and all I can feel is all encompassing, blinding <em>rage.</em> I wonder what happened in my past life to warrant the universe to ruin my life a second time?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>i’m back just like promised! to be honest, i don’t really like this chapter. i didn’t know how to end it, and i’m just not good at writing fight scenes in general (which is a reason i’m writing this action themed fic; so i can get practice), but hopefully i did ok! any feedback?</p><p>also, i am not an expert in PTSD but i do have experience in disassociation. when i was writing it out, i found it really difficult to write too, but i tried to be as realistic as i could. also, when i disassociate, i don’t think i actually have any thoughts, if that makes sense. it’s kinda like a dreamless sleep, but i’m awake? so the dissociation with memories is different from my experience as well. anyway, you guys do not need to hear about my problems LMAO, i just wanted to give some insight into how i thought about the last few scenes if it helps you understand it. </p><p>the death i was talking about in the tags is finally here and i am not apologizing for it B) poor sakura though, just when she thought she was going to be in a safe environment. sigh. he hate to see it. poor bb is gonna need like 15 therapists.</p><p>anyways, any questions? concerns? how was your day? just comment anything, i live off your comments LOL </p><p>caio!</p><p>(edit: please refer to the comments and reply’s for further explanation into my thinking about the ptsd and trauma if you have questions about it! i appreciate the readers who gave feedback, and i would love for others to give their opinions as well! it definitely helps me become a better writer)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. 1.6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>    I startle awake the next morning (or is it the next week?) with sweat on my forehead and bags under my eyes, a striking numbness in my chest.</p><p> </p><p>    Broken fragments of dreams linger in my mind. The phantom feeling of smoke in my lungs and blood on my face makes me clinch my fists to keep my composure. The feeling of rage, that I'm starting to think will be ever present now, simmers just below the surface. I can't bring myself to care that much when the little crescents on my palms start bleeding.</p><p> </p><p> <em>I really should clean them, I guess</em>, I think idly as I stare down at my hands, but my mind is already somewhere else. I can still see the <em>horrendous foul ashy</em> grey smile of the demon, or whatever the hell it was, when I close my eyes. I can still smell the iron and feel the killing intent. See how Momma's blood is coursing down the demons bladed hand. I can feel the grip of the kunai in my hand as I cut down the enemy soldier. How his blood feels over my hands as I sliced his neck. How suffocating the kyuubi's chakra feels as it seems to fill my entire being—</p><p> </p><p>I have to force my thoughts to stop and separate themselves. It seems like the barely holding on mental barrier that kept me from breaking down was, well, now breaking down itself. All of the memories that should have been traumatizing are now doing just that, being traumatizing. My thoughts often shift back and forth between the traumatic experiences between both lives. It's strange and makes me feel like I’m watching a movie of someone else’s life.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> In a way I guess I am. </span></p><p> </p><p>I sigh and close my eyes. I really should clean my hands.</p><p> </p><p>My ankle protests when I move to stand, but the sprain isn’t as bad as I though it would be. It’ll be fine in a week tops. I silently slide a door open, and I see a bigger room. It's very early in the morning when I spot the moon in the sky from a small window. Early enough that the sun hasn't started rising just yet. For some reason, it's then that I notice that I'm in a completely new environment. I don't recognize the house I'm in and panic courses through me as I instinctually try to sense any chakra signatures around me. Wait shit I don't <em>have</em> my chakra anymore-</p><p> </p><p>Kami <em>why?</em> <em>Why</em> don't I still have my chakra? My Yin Seal that I literally almost <em>died</em> for? God I'm so angry that it hurts and I try to force chakra into my hands so they can heal themselves. I try and it starts burning but I don't care because I just need it to work damnit damnit <em>damnit</em>.</p><p> </p><p>I'm forced to stop when I have to brace myself against the wall, feeling exhausted. The rage that was so strong before starts to dissolve, only leaving me feeling numb again. The terrible burning in my hands almost makes me cry out, and I realize I just burned them with my own chakra. The little I had is now used up and I almost can't move my hands, telling me that I must have done some damage to the chakra coils as well.</p><p> </p><p>Kami, what the fuck am I doing? I’m a ninja for fucks sake.</p><p> </p><p>I'm so out of my depth, and for some reason it's just now starting to sink in. In the seven months (in the back of my mind I catalog seven as the <em>worst</em> fucking number in history) I've been here, nothing felt as real as it does right now. Tears fill my eyes but for some reason they don't fall, no matter how much I want to cry. I just lost my parents, <em>again</em>, and losing people never gets easier. I can't do it, I can't fucking do <em>anything</em> now that my abilities have basically reverted down to a goldfish. Useless, I'm so <em>useless</em>. I couldn't save them and shit always seems to happen every time I <em>try</em>—</p><p> </p><p>I force myself to take a staggering breath and calm my erratic heartbeat. Panicking will get me nowhere. I need to find Big Brother and leave now before the demon <em>comes back and eats him up too</em>. I am in foreign territory, with little to no chakra, and I don't know how many potentially hostile unknowns there are in the area. I push myself up so I'm not leaning on the wall so heavily, and right as I turn around, something almost pushes me back down.</p><p> </p><p>I immediately flail out and my mind automatically goes through all the worst scenarios in my head. I flinch so hard my head hits the wall behind me and I'm about to bite whatever just attacked before I suddenly take in voices around me.</p><p> </p><p>"Kami Sakura, don't scare me like that again!"</p><p> </p><p>My brain stops and so do my attempts at trying to get free of the prison <em>(my brothers arms)</em> and get away. When I finally come back to myself, Big Brother is still holding me close to him in a tight embrace. Something slithers into my chest and I can't stop myself from sagging into him. I whisper out a broken "Big Brother" and his response is to hold me tighter.</p><p> </p><p>"When I woke up and didn't see you I thought you were gone too. Please, please don't leave." He whispers back, just as broken. I feel a little guilty then, but the feeling (the feeling of protection, I realize) is stronger and I don't take my arms from around him.</p><p> </p><p>We stay like that for while, but I whip my head up at the sound of footsteps. I look up from Big Brothers shoulder and tense as I see a man holding a katana, a tengu mask on his face.</p><p> </p><p> <em>Threat. Protect. Kill.</em></p><p> </p><p>I move quickly and shove Big Brother behind me, a surprised gasp leaving his lips. I glare at the man in front of us and watch his every movement, down to the twitch of his fingers at the sudden position change between my brother and I. Everything is still for a few seconds, but when he moves to put his katana down slowly, I also stagger where I stand. The exhaustion I felt earlier coming back in full force when the strange man puts down his weapon and doesn't seem to be a threat anymore.</p><p> </p><p>Big Brother catches me when I fall backwards and before I can say anything, I black out from chakra exhaustion.</p><p> </p><p>I don't realize the other young boy in the room, either.</p><p> </p><p>~**~</p><p> </p><p>    When I woke up next, only a day had gone by.</p><p> </p><p>    Seeing as I only had the chakra of a fish, it didn't take long to regenerate and get back to it's original state. It would've taken a couple days at least if I had had my full capacity.</p><p> </p><p>    But I didn't. And it makes me angry.</p><p> </p><p>    I take a deep breath and finally open my eyes to look around me. I am in the same futon I was in when I first woke up (how long ago was that again?) but this time I am in a clean tee-shirt and shorts. I can’t really bring myself to care on who changed me. Actually, I notice that I am feeling rather apathetic, which is kind of worrying. I should probably deal with that sometime.</p><p> </p><p>    I use my hands to sit up, but I wince in the process. Oh yeah, I also chakra burned my hands. Since I’m young and have no chakra, I'll be lucky if the burns don't leave a scar. But eh, I have bigger concerns.</p><p> </p><p>    Like where I am and the whereabouts of Big Brother.</p><p> </p><p>    I slowly raise myself to a standing position, my ankle surprisingly not giving me much grief, and take in the room around me. It's small, with only a wooden desk in the corner. There is another futon placed besides mine and I guess thats where Big Brother is sleeping.</p><p> </p><p>    A sudden pang of guilt goes through me. I hope he didn't worry to much about me.</p><p> </p><p>    Who am I kidding? He probably worried just as much as I would've. I sigh and with quiet steps make my way out of the room, only a small limp in my step. When I walk into a bigger room I can tell it's pretty bright outside because of a barred window across from me. The wooden floor gives way a step down to a dirt floor a few paces from the door, and there is a small square cut out in the middle where some sticks and, what looks like to be a metal wok, sit there. There is no one in this room either, and I slowly make my way across until I come to a pair of oak doors, which I assume lead outside.</p><p> </p><p>So far there seems to be nothing threatening in the vicinity, but my mind soon changes when I slide the wooden door open and see the masked tengu guy holding a katana against my brother.</p><p> </p><p>Oh <em>hell</em> no.</p><p> </p><p>With my chakra still restoring and impaired ankle, I'm slower than I would like to be, but I still run as fast as I can toward the pair and before either of the two can react, I've pushed the katana away with the back of my hand and used my other to push my brother back.</p><p> </p><p>"What do you think you are doing?" I growl, and my brother is surprised at the amount of venom I direct at the strange man. The guy in the tengu mask looks unfazed, and for just half a second I see Kakashi-sensei's face over his own. The way his silver hair is cropped up, the mask that covers his usually fake smile. I squeeze my eyes shut at the same time my heart lurches in my chest. <em>No</em>, this is a threat, not Kakashi-sensei.</p><p> </p><p>My heart does not stop it's insistent beating though.</p><p> </p><p>The guy looks into my eyes (at least I think he does) and we have a stare off for a few seconds with my brother sputtering behind me. Tengu puts down his sword slowly and takes a step back after.</p><p> </p><p>I put my arms down but I don't take my eyes off of him. After my defensive posture melts back, brother finally is thrown out of the trance he was in. "S-Sakura-chan! I can't believe you just did that! Are you crazy? This is my new sensei!" My head reeled with what he just told me but before I can speak, Tengu scoffs.</p><p> </p><p>"Your kid sister is more liable to become a demon slayer than you, boy."</p><p> </p><p>A what now? I furrow my eyes and take a small glance at my big brother, but when I look back, Tengu is standing right in front of me. I take a sharp breath in and the only surprise I let show on my face is the minor widening of my eyes. I push my brother back in alarm. I couldn't even hear him. <em>Who </em>is<em> this guy?</em> And what the hell is he talking about? Demon slaying? He can not be serious right now.</p><p> </p><p>This world was supposed to be safe, protected. This world was supposed to be free of war. And yet...</p><p> </p><p>My parents are dead, <em>again</em>. The shame and guilt, the only things I can seem to feel, come back and hit me square in the chest. If I only I was stronger, damnit. If I can't even protect my precious people here...</p><p> </p><p>What does that make me?</p><p> </p><p>No one speaks for a few seconds and the atmosphere is tense. Big Brother is still standing quietly behind me and observing the interaction between Tengu and I. I am standing completely still, but my mind is running thousands of miles an hour.</p><p> </p><p>Tengu suddenly moves and picks his katana up from the ground and puts it in its sheath. I'm immediately on my toes and I watch his every movement. I won't make the mistake of taking my eyes off of him again. "My name is Sakonji Urokodaki." He starts off. I bare my teeth at him in reply. What's his game? Does he think he can get anything from us? He sounds crazy from what I've heard from him so far. I back up with my brother behind me and the starring match begins again.</p><p> </p><p>Urokodaki stares at the little pink haired girl standing protectively in front of her brother, who seems at a loss of what to do.  Her hands fresh with scares and a bright pink - <em>new</em> - scar running across her nose. He narrows his eyes. <em>She smells so different than her brother. The pungent oder of anger and guilt waft from her like waves, but there are hints of sadness mixed in, way too much for a kid of her age. Also fear... but not for herself. Maybe for...</em></p><p> </p><p>He looks at her brother who looks dumbstruck at her actions. <em>Interesting. It seems she's experienced more than she's letting on.</em></p><p> </p><p>The silence continues and it seems like Big Brothers had enough. He plants a soft hand on my shoulder and I repress the flinch that wants to come after. I still don't take my eyes away from the man who calls himself Sakonji Urokodaki. Big Brother sighs and walks to stand between us.</p><p> </p><p>"Sakura-chan," he starts in a soft voice that immediately makes my muscles lose tension. "He is not a threat, okay? He saved us from..." He trails off and doesn't pick up the sentence. There is a faraway look in his eyes before he shakes his head. "He took us in, Sakura-chan. He's gonna teach me to be strong. I am going to protect us, ok?"</p><p> </p><p>I look him in the eyes and he stares back unflinchingly. I immediately want to protest. He shouldn't <em>have</em> to be the protecter. He shouldn't <em>have</em> to learn to fight. This shouldn't even <em>be</em> happening because...</p><p> </p><p>Because, what? Wherever I seem to go, shit follows. <em>This shouldn't be happening because I shouldn't be here.</em></p><p> </p><p>I nod and say nothing. Even if I wanted to, my throat is closed up uncomfortably tight and its hard to breath.</p><p> </p><p>I only let out a breath when Big Brother puts his arms around me in a tight hug. I hug him back with all I am worth.</p><p> </p><p>He is my only precious person left that I can protect. I can't let him go.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hey lovelies! i hope you’ve had a good week :) </p><p>i am back with another chapter, and i am sooo excited to get into this section. i already have the dynamic thats gonna happen between urokodaki and sakura, and i can’t wait to flesh it out. and thank you for your feedback on the last chapter! i have yet to edit it, but i plan to soon. when you give me feedback it really helps with my writing process! </p><p>also, WHERE DID ALL THESE SUDDEN VIEWS AND KUDOS COME FROM??? you all are seriously the best, and i’m really happy that i decided to post this story on here, even if i’m hesitant about posting some parts. it’s really helped me get out of my comfort zone and i can tell i’m growing as a writer, even if the progress is small. 💜💜</p><p>i will try to update again soon for you all! in the meantime, anything interesting happening in your lives? any additional feedback? any predictions for young demon slaying sakura’s future?</p><p>ciao!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. 1.7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>   After the rather eventful start to the morning, Urokodaki sits the two kids down. He looks at the brother who holds determination but stares off into space to many times for his liking, and he looks at the sister who smells like she's been through war and back, with a blank look on her face and guilt in her heart.</p><p> </p><p>    <em>I should really stop picking up strays. I'm getting to old for this.</em> He sighs and snaps his fingers. Both children are quick to turn their attention to him. Though Sabito because he's eager, Sakura because...</p><p> </p><p>    Well.</p><p> </p><p>    Urokodaki is pretty sure she's one misstep away from killing him; and is thus hyper aware of every sound and move he makes. Which he doesn't entirely fault her for. If he had gone and seen what she had, he'd probably act the same way if he saw an unknown suddenly calling the shots and throwing around a sword.</p><p> </p><p>    He stares at the two children a little longer than normal, and just as Sabito is about to space out again, he crosses his arms. Sakura narrows her eyes in response. "Do either of you know what happened to your family?" He probably shouldn't start off with plunging them head first into traumatic memories that just happened, but he needs to know if these brats are worth it and how'd they react. He watches as Sabito gets that far off look in his eyes as Sakura's face stays blank, but her smell of guilt, regret, sadness, anger <em>(oh so much anger)</em> hit him like a brick wall. He doesn't even want to begin to unwrap this kids trauma. He realizes that she too has glazed eyes that reflect her freshly dished out traumatizing memories.</p><p> </p><p>    He sighs.</p><p> </p><p>    Ok then. This is probably the worst start ever.</p><p> </p><p>    He snaps his fingers again and both siblings bring their attention back to him. "Do you know what attacked you?" He decides to ask instead. The question isn't much better than the last one, but he's got to start somewhere. He watches as Sabito shakes his head but Sakura... The nastiest sneer Urokodaki has ever seen come from a six year old is on her face. Something sour starts leaking into her smell. Is that... killing intent?</p><p> </p><p>    Gods above. Killing intent at six? That's got to be a record.</p><p> </p><p>    Before he can say anything, Sakura grits out: "It was a monster. His arms..." Urokodaki saw her eyes glaze over again. Sabito put his hand on her shoulder. She flinches and looks at her brother and then back to him. "It wasn't human."</p><p> </p><p>    Good. At least they grasp that. Good enough a start as any given their situation. "It was a demon." He watches at the kids turn their eyes to him in an instant.<em> 'A demon? What in the fuckity fuck? Are you serious?'</em> Sakura thinks she might burst a blood vessel at some point before this conversation is over. Urokodaki clears his throat and continues before her thoughts spiral anymore and she has the chance to fire questions at him, "They feed on humans and show no mercy. They kill innocents, politicians, kids, even sometimes they kill each other; they are out for chaos. Those who defend the public are called Demon Slayers." He stops and lets the information sink in. He's always been blunt and honest, and he sees no reason that he has to hold back with these two, so only after a few seconds he continues, "The Demon Slayer Corps are the only line of defense the public has against the demons, and we are not officially recognized by the government. I myself am a trainer for those wishing to go into the Corps."</p><p> </p><p>    The question of<em> why hasn't she heard of these supposed 'demon slayers'</em> dies on her tongue when he finishes. Sakura feels sudden dread pool into the bottom of her stomach.<em> 'I was pulled out of a war just to be put in another.'</em> She clinches her hands to try and stop them from shaking, and doesn’t pay any mind when they start to burn from the strain. This is so unfair! She wants to scream, kick, yell at the world for doing this to her and her loved ones but what good is a tantrum gonna do? In the end it will all remind the same.</p><p> </p><p>    Reality is really, very harsh in any universe. No world truly exists without violence.</p><p> </p><p>    Sakura is suprised when her big brother grabs her shaking fist and wrestles his hand into hers. She looks at him, but he's not looking at her. "Like I said this morning," He stands up into a bow, still holding her hand, "please teach me, Urokodaki-sensei!" His eye's are squeezed shut and Sakura can only look at him, her heart constricting. Her Big Brother had always been quiet and reserved, she hasn't seen this side of him. Sakura thinks it should've stayed that way.</p><p> </p><p>Urokodaki looks on with calculating eyes. "I already told you, this job is not easy. You can't half ass it and hope for the best. You can't go in not knowing what you are doing, what you are fighting for." Sabito stands up straight while still holding his sisters hand, a fierce look in his eyes. "I may not know many things about demon slaying yet, but I'm willing to pour everything I have into it. You said that you can't go in not knowing what you are fighting for, but..." His eyes briefly flicker to look into Sakura's. He squeezes her hand harder, "but you're wrong. I will fight for the ones I want to protect, I will be the one to keep them safe." The determination in his eyes makes Urokodaki smirk under his mask, but he doesn't let it leak into his voice.</p><p> </p><p>"And what if you can't do that?" The question throws Sabito off guard, as it does Sakura and she snaps up to glare at him. "If you fail to keep your loved ones safe? Then what? Are you just going to give up?" His voice is harsh. He needs to see how far this kid is willing to go.</p><p> </p><p>Sabito breaks eye contact (or what he thinks is eye contact, since Urokodaki is wearing a mask) and looks down to the ground. Sakura squeezes his hand and Urokodaki can smell the new anger that washes off of her in waves, but he ignores it, only keeping his eyes on Sabito."I..." He looks down at Sakura to see her fierce glare at Urokodaki, and when she turns it to him, he struggles not to flinch. <em>Don't let him win, he's testing you.</em> Sakura wants to say, but she doesn't because she knows her big brother needs to go through this on his own. It happened with Naruto, it happened his her... And now it needs to happen with him. <em>Prove yourself, damnit.</em> It will also tell her if her brother really has the will to fight or not. Either way is fine with her, she's always been the protecter, and she <em>will</em> protect him goddamn it. The whispers of <em>useless, not good enough, you've already failed countless of time before, what this time different?</em> echo in the back of her mind like venom.</p><p> </p><p>She ignores it.</p><p> </p><p>Sabito stares into her eye's and nods his head high, and this time sends his own glare back at Urokodaki. "I don't care how many times I fail. I'll just train hard enough so I <em>don't</em> fail." His grip is bruising on Sakura's hand, "But I can only do that and start protecting if you train me."</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Bingo.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Urokodaki crosses his arms and takes a step back. He inclines his head and peers down at the two. "Good."</p><p> </p><p>And then he walks back into his house with silent steps.</p><p> </p><p>The two kids sit there. <em>Uh, is that it?</em></p><p> </p><p>They look at each other, and ever since the incident happened Sabito see's just a little bit of hope in his little sisters usually blank gaze.</p><p> </p><p>She squeezes his hand. <em>Yeah, that's it.</em></p><p> </p><p>~**~</p><p> </p><p>After the mornings events have passed, the little bit of hope and pride that welled in me vanished. In it's place was the usual guilt and anger.</p><p> </p><p>I hated it. I hated that it was the only thing I can seem to feel, I hated that when I tried to stop the feelings, it only led to numbness.</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <em>I hate it i hate it i hate it i hate it.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>And then I'm angry again.</p><p> </p><p>After Urokodaki left us sitting/standing there, Big Brother tugged me up and hugged me. We slid in after Tengu and as soon as he saw us, he gave us orders to collect some wood from outside and chop it up for dinner tonight. He didn’t seem to care I was still recovering from a sprained ankle, so I didn’t mention it. </p><p> </p><p>Despite the protests from Big Brother, I started chopping wood as he collected it. It gave me something to do to distract myself from my overlapping memories that flit through my head. It also gives me a way to vent out my anger.</p><p> </p><p><em>I need to be better.</em> Stronger, faster, smarter. I'm not useless. <em>I'm not I'm not I'm not.</em> I bring the axe that is almost bigger than me, down on the wood and imagine it as the demon's face.</p><p> </p><p><em>Demons.</em> Was fighting gods not good enough? Did I need to fight fucking <em>demons</em> too? The unfairness of it all makes me so mad I almost split the post that holds the wood in half along with the piece of it my brother set on not moments before. Demon slaying. It's essentially like training kids to be ninja's. The principal is similar. You train them in a certain art at a young age, and if it's as similar as I think it is, there must be some test they have to go through, and then after they pass it's like being promoted to genin. And if there are ranks within the Corps, then it'll be like going from genin to chunin, chunin to specialized jonin, and so forth. I chop another piece of wood.</p><p> </p><p>What a fucking joke.</p><p> </p><p>Kids shouldn't <em>have</em> to be trained to kill. It's bad no matter what universe. It makes me so mad that I can feel the minuscule amount of chakra I have rush through my coils so fast it feels like it might explode out of my scarred hands. It actually burns when I channel chakra to them, but the burn grounds me. I have to stop myself once I realize that I'm doing it though, the doctor side of myself winning over.</p><p> </p><p>I suppress the urge to snort. Yeah, what a fucking joke.</p><p> </p><p>After a few hours slaving around for Urokodaki, we finally settle down to eat and now that I don't have anything to distract my thoughts with, they swim freely around in my head. The striking numbness spreads through my chest as I watch Urokodaki cook something in the big pot that sits in the cut out square in the floor. Images of team seven sitting around a camp fire, doing the same thing transpose themselves onto the scene and I stare blankly at nothing. Well to Big Brother and Tengu it's at nothing. But to me, I keep my gazes fixed on Naruto's happy smile and Kakashi-sensei's puffed up silver hair.</p><p> </p><p>I'm snapped out of it when Tengu snaps his fingers by my head. The memory clears and I am suddenly back in the wooden house next to Tengu and Big Brother. Big Brother has a sad smile on his face as he hands me a warm bowl of potato soup, and then pours one for himself. Tengu isn't eating yet, and just watches as we do. I have to stop an image of Kakashi-sensei that wants to transpose it on to Tengu's. They really are similar though, and it's hard.</p><p> </p><p>"Why aren't you eating, Urokodaki-sensei?" Big Brother questions as he swallows a spoonful of soup. I haven't taken a bite yet.</p><p> </p><p>Tengu crosses his arms, "I'm waiting until later." Is all he says.</p><p> </p><p>And it's back to silence.</p><p> </p><p>Eventually, when Big Brother is already halfway done with his bowl, I finally take the first bite of mine. It's still warm on my tongue and the flavor is just right. I'm not hungry until I take the first bite, and then I'm eating it like it will be my last meal. Big Brother smiles a little; Tengu doesn't say anything.</p><p> </p><p>I don't know why I suddenly feel like crying.</p><p> </p><p>But I can't bring myself to let tears fall, no matter how badly I want too.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>look at me posting only, like, two days after the last chapter! i have had so much inspiration for  this story lately and just wrote 7,000 words of new chapters last night, which is. actually insane. i have to restrain myself from posting them all at once LOL i am just so excited to get into this part. </p><p>also!! news!! guess who’s officially a college student? 😎 i ended up getting into all the schools i applied for and officially decided on one a few days ago, but now it’s actually finalized and i am so hyped!! 🥳🥳</p><p>but that also means i’ll be busier in the near future, but i plan to write as much as i can so i don’t leave you guys without an update for too long. besides, i always make it a rule to write chapters in advance before i post the current one, so hopefully you’ll never have to wait (here’s to hoping!!)</p><p>meanwhile, anything interesting happening with you? i told you about whats happening with me, so it’s only fair i ask. plus, i want to get to know my readers! you all are seriously amazing. any predictions? do you like the dynamic between sakura and urokodaki? comment anything!</p><p>caio!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>oopsie my hand slipped. </p><p>i watched all of demon slayer in two days and this happened :D lets hope i can see it to it’s end. obviously, this fic will have heavy, heavy spoilers for demon slayer, so please watch it first! it’s well worth your time. </p><p>i’m honestly uploading this here in chance i might get feedback and it might motivate me to stay on a regular writing schedule, but we’ll see what happens :p</p><p>caio!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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